Calif. judge apologizes, pays $100,000 to software mogul

Siebel said he viewed Christoffers' complaint as a veiled extortion attempt.

"I was trying to set an example," Siebel said. "This was a single person's effort at tort reform."

Siebel plans to donate Mittlesteadt's payment to Stanford University programs devoted to legal ethics.

Siebel Systems, formerly based in San Mateo, was sold to Oracle Corp. for $6.1 billion in 2006.

Mittlesteadt said her conflict with Siebel taught her "you ultimately cannot control your reputation with those who do not know you." She also urged "all attorneys to continue representing your clients zealously within the bounds of the law."

When she filed the suit, Siebel Systems was preparing an initial public offering of stock, meaning the company had to disclose the potential legal liability and risk rattling investors.

Determined to prove the allegations against him were wrong, Siebel fought the lawsuit and prevailed on all the claims against him.

A jury concluded that Siebel Systems legitimately fired Christoffers because it was dissatisfied with her performance but that it still owed Christoffers for unpaid sales commissions.

After both sides appealed, the company ultimately paid more than $351,000 to settle that part of the case while Christoffers agreed to pay nearly $52,000 to cover Siebel Systems' legal costs.

After Mittlesteadt was appointed as a judge, Siebel personally sued her and her associate, E. Rick Buell II, for malicious prosecution.